what is contextual inquiry in ux

what is contextual inquiry in ux

This study aimed to explore how inquiry-oriented teaching could be implemented in an introductory linear algebra course that, due to various constraints, may not lend itself to inquiry-oriented teaching. Which route you go depends on numbers and experience - if somebody isn't comfortable interviewing but wants to observe, they . This will help you make better suggestions for improvement later on. This gives the user the opportunity to share their own conclusions and expand or correct the researchers analysis. An evolving, interactive glossary of UX research terms. Thanks, I really appreciate your encouragement! Exploring user behavior in the context of their actual work instead of a simulated setting often reveals underlying elements of the work process or environmental . When is it best used? In our collection of UX-research methodologies, contextual inquiry . Related terms: Ethnographic research, Ethnography, IDI / Interview, Group study. If going 2:1, determine which of you takes notes, and which facilitates the interview. Another valuable reason for a contextual inquiry is that it captures how users currently solve the problem that you are aiming to fix. Contextual inquiry - Contextual inquiry is a form of qualitative research in which UX practitioners observe how users interact with a product in their natural environment, such as their workplace. Drawing all your conclusions from one or two subjects could yield untrustworthy results. Most of the time, this is in the early stages of a project. Take note of any point in their flow where they seem to struggle or are confused. Contextual Inquiry is Day 20 of 100 Days of UX, an exploratory effort to survey the 100 methods of design outlined in Martin and Hannington's Universal Methods of Design. The biggest problem with this method is that many companies have users all over the world, and its not cost-effective to visit a handful of them in a week when trying to get context into their behaviour while using your product. Research takes place in the natural environment of users as they carry out their activities normally. He grew up in Texas, matured in Colorado, and spent his late 20s living in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Helps refine persona and scenario development prior to jumping in to the design. The researcher asks participants to interact with the product during the contextual inquiry. Like everything, its important to weigh your options. Shows that there is a balance, but a different address.A seed phrase, seed recovery phrase or backup seed phrase is a list of words which . They can help researchers understand how users perceive the product and its use, such as how the product is organized and the structure and navigation of the product. Uploading notes via Google docs is a good way to share text and images. Approaching participants takes a certain type of personality to do so effectively. For example, if your app will help people find food trucks, schedule your sessions for around lunch or dinner time. It is a method where participants are observed while they perform tasks and simultaneously talk about what they are doing while they perform them. Use them to hone in on specific parts of the process, then combine photos with notes to give you and the rest of the team a strong sense of place, focus, and what you observed. Its name describes exactly what makes it valuable inquiry in context: Contextual inquiry methods study users in their natural environments -- thus, remote observation and diary studies have the upper hand when using methods like these. At the start of the session, run them through a formal script that explains to them why youre there, what is expected of them, what they should expect of you, and to ask for permission to begin recording. Contextual inquiry is reminiscent of anthropological research, and relies heavily on participant observation. Apr 2016 - Present6 years 8 months. Understand the use case or problem as much as possible. The researcher will tell the user what their thoughts and conclusions are throughout the interview. Researchers use contextual inquiry to observe what users do and how they do it, e.g. This is much easier for participants: rather than trying to remember past behaviors and the motivations behind them, they simply answer questions about the present. You dont want to jump on your conclusions before the interview data has been thoroughly analyzed. . Photos are still worthwhile, even if youre recording a video. In particular, the course in question has a traditionally large class size, limited amount of class time, and is often coordinated with other sections of the same course. Contextual inquiries can help UX researchers identify opportunities to improve the product experience so that the customers will return to use the product again. Returning to Yogi Berra: "You can observe a lot by just watching." A contextual inquiry is a form of an ethnographic interview, where users are observed and questioned in their own environment, to try to determine their approach towards specific tasks. By observing and asking probing questions, you can see what users do, better understand why they work in a certain way, and uncover otherwise "hidden" insights that users may not naturally think to share. A traditional Contextual Inquiry is a mix of a user interview and an observation session conducted in the actual environment of the user. So whats the difference? Reveals information and behaviors the participants may not be aware of. Well then give you tips on how to conduct your own contextual inquiry. Or maybe just the checkout flow? Everything works fine, but I only generate a wallet for one address: m/44'/0'/0'/0 (BTC) But some seed phrases turn out to be empty. In Part 1 we covered usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and card sorting. Researchers then use this information to better understand the users behavior and how theyre using and experiencing the product. Notate body language and non-verbal signals. For this reason, it can also be a more expensive form of research. Contextual inquiry can be time-intensive: The researcher has to visit the user, wherever they may be. 2022 Curiosity Tank | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions. But what we have done with our own terminology is to create a mess. You can still capture a lot of the context this way, and its much more cost-effective. Data from the field is used to create flow models, sequence models, artifact models, physical models, and cultural models. They ask questions prompted by their observations and driven by the objectives of the study. Contextual inquiries are an excellent way for product development teams to understand: Researchers can start by creating a contextual inquiry and implementing it as part of the product development process. You should keep distractions to a minimum so both parties can focus on the task at hand. The researcher observes the participant as they use the product/service/website or completes a task in their natural environment for using the item being studied. After you have completed more than one, you can then compare the findings across different participants. Having pre-prepared questions also ensures consistency: If you play it by ear, the chances of you asking interviewees slightly different questions is very high. From Ideation to Product positioning. To conduct a contextual interview, it should take place in the environment where customers typically use the product. Who's involved? More importantly, the eye tracking results were used to validate assumptions and get stakeholder buy-in. In a contextual inquiry, the UX researcher observes how participants perform certain tasks while having them describe what they are doing through their interaction with the product. Usability: What is contextual inquiry? A contextual inquiry is based on the interaction between the UX researcher and the participant. See all details . What is a contextual inquiry UX? Alongside general observations, be sure to jot down any useful quotes or comments. A key benefit of contextual inquiries is that researchers discover things they would never anticipate and uncover hidden details that have become customary for the users. 4. Think of it as a combination of light ethnographic work and user interviewing. Recently, contextual inquiry was at the core of the UX team's approach to a redesign of Bloomberg software which incorporated an "Action Queue" dashboard to help users monitor their work. Contextual inquiry is a type of ethnographic field study that involves in . Watch what products they start with, ask them why they use those. Examples of contextual inquiry include assembling an IKEA high chair at home, shopping for a specific diet at a supermarket, or using new conference software in the workplace. Top Tip: Keep your sketches broad. Often, doing observation first without asking questions can help you understand the problem at hand a little better which in turn can help guide you when its time to write the questions. UX Research, User Experience Design (UED), and Interaction Design. Contextual inquiry, also known as site visits, or contextual interviewing, is a powerful method to 'narrow the gap with reality' when understanding, or making design decisions. Copyright 2019-2021 Adobe. April 25, 2014 Darko engija Design This is a slightly different approach to user testing sessions. Essentially, the user uses the product while the researcher observes, takes notes, and talks to the user about whats happening during the session. The word usability also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.". Its good to have a list of predefined tasks and questions ready so you can ask them to complete some specific ones if they dont touch on certain areas you wanted to get some feedback on. There are four principles that guide an efficient contextual inquiry. But its also time-consuming and more costly than other methods so its important to get it right. Use in a sentence: I set up a two-hour contextual inquiry with a customer to watch them use our product at work to gain insight about how to improve their experience. Researchers can also use contextual inquiries to recognize shortcomings in the product, how to improve the product experience and identify areas that need improvement, such as the products security. Basically, youre asking them questions in the ultimate context, which is why it is called a Contextual Inquiry. Your core questions should be designed to encourage the user to share information that will help you improve the service or product. Have them explain or teach you the reasons for their decisions and processes. With various methodologies to choose from, its important to understand the functions of each, and knowing how and when to use them. Working methods, best practices, tips and tricks, Unique insights, design stories, the impact of design, Putting UX in Context with Contextual Inquiries. Contextual inquiry is a semi-structured interview method to obtain information about the context of use, where users are first asked a set of standard questions and then observed and questioned while they work in their own environments. You are also in a key position to identify areas that could be modified to increase the usability and benefit the user in other ways. So say, for example, you want to create a streamlined university dining hall. Learn how UX research can give your business an edge and differentiate your customer experience in a saturated.

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what is contextual inquiry in ux